Rondoniella hosoishii Maruyama & Ando 2022, sp. nov.

Rondoniella hosoishii sp. nov.

(Figs 2–4, 8–17)

Type series. Holotype. ♂, "[CAMBODIA] / Plot RK14 / Ratanakiri Prov. / N13 34, E 106 55 / 6. v. 2013 / S. Hosoishi leg." (KUM). Paratypes. 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, same data as the holotype (KUM).

Etymology. The specific epithet is cordially dedicated to Dr. Shingo Hosoishi (Kyushu University), who collected the type series.

Diagnosis. Rondoniella hosoishii sp. nov. is most closely similar to R. costata Kaszab, 1970 in color and general body shape, but distinguished from it by the lateral depression of the pronotum being narrower, the punctation on the pronotum being finer, the striae on the elytra less clear, the tibiae being broader and less punctate, the tarsi being shorter and thicker.

Description. Body cylindrical, subparallel-sided. Color grayish black-brown overall.

Male. Head triangular, rounded at apex, with lateral margins weakly bisinuate, and with posterior margin almost straight though shallowly emarginate medially; disc laterally strongly depressed, flattened around clypeus, inner part of eyes margined, angled at posterior end; eyes small, their diameter less than half of distance between eyes; surface granulate-punctate and covered with scale-like setae; both of punctation and setation becoming sparser and finer toward lateral margins.

Venter of head densely with granules and punctures, with a longitudinal and subparallel-sided elevation in middle, the elevation weakly depressed in middle, with dense and circular tubercles; ventral eyes weakly convex, situated at posterior end beside the elevation; mentum transverse, large, strongly emarginate at apex, with a pair of connecting rods at middle of posterior margin; gula roundly convex, with dense tubercles becoming gradually larger anteriad, microscopic punctures between tubercles with short setae.

Pronotum subtrapezoid, widest around anterior 1/4; anterior margin almost straight but shallowly emarginate medially; lateral margins rounded and narrowed posteriad to angled postero-lateral corners; posterior margin widely rounded, margined and slightly depressed; disc gently convex, but strongly depressed antero-laterally, with a shallow longitudinal groove medially, which is terminated at posterior round depression; surface granulate-punctate; punctation becoming smaller and finer toward antero-lateral corners where only finely punctate. Venter of prothorax with distinct prothoracic cavity for receiving antennomeres. Prothoracic hypomera weakly depressed, with large and circular tubercles. Prosternum unevenly convex, densely and irregularly tuberculate; prosternal process cuneiform, strongly bent inward. Mesoventrite densely tuberculate, subvertical posteriorly between coxae. Metaventrite weakly convex, unevenly depressed along posterior margin, evenly covered with tubercles, and without transverse sulci. Abdomen weakly convex in middle and slightly depressed laterally, densely tuberculate.

Elytra oblong oval, widest around basal 1/3, slightly narrowed from middle toward base; nine striae slightly convex, each formed by a row of granules; surface weakly granulate-punctate; epipleura uneven, reaching almost apices of elytra, densely tuberculate, not beaded beside metepisternum.

Legs short and robust, densely with small granules and large punctures; femora rather flat, gently dilated toward near middle; tibiae dilated apicad; foretibiae with ecto-apical angles strongly produced; inner margin of hindtibia with a smooth longitudinal line.

Aedeagus slender; median lobe 1.21 times as long as the length of apicale and basale combined; basale weakly divergent posteriorly, almost entirely opened ventrally, 1.26 times as long as apicale; apicale confluent at apex, dorsally with a pair of rounded notches at base, sparsely setiferous apically.

Female. Outer margin of foretibia curved; elytra widest around apical 1/4.

Measurements of type series. BL, 5.75–6.05; HL, 0.95–1.02; HW, 1.72–2.13; PL, 1.42–1.71; PW, 2.10–2.47; EL, 3.80–4.02; FTL, 0.83–0.88; MTL, 0.76–0.86 (N = 5).

Bionomics. All the specimens were collected from a nest of Crematogaster sewardi under bark of a living standing tree. See also Discussion.